Talkback: Hens in the vegetable patch

great to hear you march your hens out into your veg plot.... yes i agree with you but what will you don in the spring as we have done the same to find that they will eat all you young seedlings and anything else thay take a fancy to, let me know.. do you do what we do put them in a lovely enclosed run for the summer although i do have to say they do keep the snakes at bay....especially the little vipers..
Gardeners' World Web User

23 Jan 2009 02:34

I had the same experiences but just built a 5 foot by 3 foot chicken tractor that I can put anywhere I want my hens to work for me. They clean up but aren't able to eat my new lettuces before I do.
Gardeners' World Web User

23 Jan 2009 12:59

Great, this is what I call useful - plenty of hints for me too!! The hens are lucky in that they have a huge run with lots of undergrowth and I'm hoping that when the veg patch is too full of veg, things will be growing better in their run ! Interesting about the snakes we have a huge grass snake which lives and moves through the run, never seen them do anything but make lots of laoud 'announcements' when they see it though!
PG
Gardeners' World Web User

25 Jan 2009 17:54

Lovely to hear your hen stories as I absolutely love hens but alas cant have any of my own. As you say they can ruin a garden and I haven't a spare patch of ground as my garden is small. I would love them to roam free rather than be shut in although they would be put to bed at night to save them from foxes!
Gardeners' World Web User

27 Jan 2009 19:34

Hi All, Bonsoir,
New to the GW site,
Just 1 question at the moment im sure there will be plenty more...
where oh where on the site is the instructions on how to build the coldframe, it looked like a metal or strong plastic frame work.Shown on TV before Christmas.
Merci.

I have 2 chickens and for the last couple of months have allowed them out of their small run to roam the whole of the garden. They love it and do find loads of grubs and bugs. Lately they have made quite a mess on the borders and now that new growth is sprouting I have had to restrict them to and hour or two and only if I'm in the garden to keep an eye. They are very clever, they know that me digging means worms, also that seed can be found under the bird feeders and they understand OFF when I catch them on the borders where I don't want them, they do push their luck sometimes and go back on as soon as you turn your back but another OFF and they behave. Wouldn't be without them as they do eat the grubs, supply lovely stuff for the compost bin and eggs too.
Gardeners' World Web User

28 Jan 2009 17:53

I was in New Zealand recently and saw for sale in the shops and garden centres large plant pots with 5 or 6 different types of lettuces and leaves in it - ready to go. Pick a few leaves for a sandwich or a handful for a salad.
How about it Britain? Even flat dwellers could have a pot of leaves on a window sill, no huge lettuce languishing in the fridge.
Friends and neighbours could get together and swap seedings.
Gardeners' World Web User

29 Jan 2009 07:43

I saw on a re-run of Gardeners' World a mention of a guy in London who grew
a Gunnera in a bucket in his suburban
garden and very good it looked too.
Just what I want for a bare corner in my garden.
Any tips, - other than the obvious 'first catch your Gunnera..."
John B.
Gardeners' World Web User

I'd love to have hens but unfortunately we have foxes all year round in our garden, and we.... feed them too!!! We live in Sedgley, West Midlands, where could I get a couple of hens? Chantalou
Gardeners' World Web User

14 May 2009 08:48

Great post. However I also keep chickens & used to keep them free range only to find that they were destroying almost any young veg plants. I now keep them in the run & am thinking of enlarging it & just letting them out when I'm there.
Gardeners' World Web User

13 Jan 2010 14:03

I have 3 hens in an 'Eglu' and run in a small back garden . I let them roam for much of the day, though not when my Welsh Terrier is out as they are not friends! They are wonderful but my lawn has taken a hammering over the winter.Not sure what I will find when the snow goes. I have bought a 'Veg table' - Its like a manger two meters long -for this spring for the tender veg I don't want eaten by the girls. By the way I'm feeding them a mash of oats and pellets made with hot water in this cold weather and they are still laying well.
Gardeners' World Web User

29 Sep 2011 06:45

I just recently got 4 baby chicks for my 18 month old daughter. The Chicks are now 4 weeks old, and growing fast. I've also found them to get in the way a little when your trying to work in the veggie patch but still... they are great pets. Just gotta try find a way to stop them getting at my veggies before I do.
Gardeners' World Web User

28 Nov 2011 18:37

no 10 why on earth would you want hens when you know you have foxes and that you actually feed them its just chicken suicide enforced by selfish humans i have chickens and what you are suggesting is cruel and sickening chickens have a right to a quality of life as well as foxes and the two just dont mix!